The Haircut (Dark Souls Short Story 16)
by MrsLittletall
Summary: Artorias accidentally manages to give Ornstein a haircut.


(Author's note: I was thinking about how my Ornstein would look like with short hair, but he just don't want it to get cut. So I gave him an accidental haircut instead.)

It had to be the biggest coincidence. During silver knight training, Ornstein had bowed down to pick something off the floor and the moment he rose up again, he could feel the tip of a great sword and a slight wind in his neck, making him instinctively dodge an inch. Heart pounding, he slowly turned around.

"Ornstein, I am so sorry, are you hurt?", he could hear Artorias say. "I stumbled while showing a move and didn't see you there."

"Artorias, that was dangerous! Pay better attention next time!", Ornstein scolded his friend but Artorias was just looking at the floor mouth agape. Confused Ornstein followed his gaze to see a red thing on the ground. "Is that blood? Am I bleeding?", he said concerned, but after a closer look he realized something: "That looks like hair..."

Ornstein raised a hand to feel for his ponytail. That surely couldn't be his hair. It still was there, right? But his hand couldn't find it. Ornstein started to slightly panic. His ponytail was gone. So the hair on the ground was really his hair.

"I am _so sorry_ , Ornstein.", Artorias mumbled.

"What... what did you do?", Ornstein brought out and then made a dash to his room.

Upon having arrived there and locking the door behind him, he removed his helmet and looked into the mirror to see the complete damage. Artorias sword had managed to cut off most of his hair, his entire ponytail was gone, only leaving the bangs and the sad stump that was still hold together by the hairband. Ornstein took a few steps back and fell down in front of the bed, sitting leaned against it, shivering and starting to sob.

Artorias had picked up the cut off ponytail and made a dash to Ornstein's room where he suspected the knight only to almost run over Ciaran on his way there. After explaining the situation and getting an "Oh dear." from the assassin, the both of them were standing in front of a locked door.

Artorias knocked: "Ornstein? Are you alright? I really didn't want to cut your hair. I am sorry."

"Go away.", Ornstein answered behind the door, sniffling. "I don't want to see you. You ruined my look. I had this ponytail for a hundred years!"

"Is he crying over this?", Ciaran whispered. "I didn't know his hair was so important for him."

"But it will grow back, right?", Artorias tried to come through to Ornstein.

"It will take years to grow so long again!"

Artorias flinched at the answer. "Isn't there anything we can do to help you...?", he asked.

"Just leave me alone!"

The both knights in front of the door looked at each other.

"He wasn't even that upset when he slipped during his jogging routine and broke both legs from the fall.", Artorias said.

"Well, he was only restrained to bed rest for a week cause of Princess Gwynevere's new Soothing Sunlight miracle. It made the injury heal much quicker than usual.", Ciaran answered.

"He hated having to use a bed-pan during that time.", Artorias said and was interrupted by Ornstein's voice through the door: "Thanks for reminding me of this horrible week!"

"So what should we do about this hairy situation?", Artorias asked.

"Isn't he normally easily baited with food?", Ciaran had lowered her voice so that the dragon slayer couldn't hear her.

"This gives me an idea. Wait here, I will be back shortly. Maybe he calms down in the meantime."

Shortly later Artorias was back with a freshly baked batch of cookies. "This must have been a world record.", Ciaran mumbled while Artorias knocked on the door another time.

"Ornstein? Would you open the door for us? I have brought you some cookies as apology."

"Cookies won't bring my hair back.", Ornstein shouted, still sounding very upset.

"So this plan failed.", Artorias said and his face darkened. "Any other ideas?"

"I would say get Gwyndolin. They usually know what to do when hair dressing is involved.", Ciaran said.

"I'll go get them. Maybe you can try and talk to Ornstein instead? We still need him to open the door for us.", Artorias said.

"Having short hair is not the end of the world, Ornstein.", Ciaran said after Artorias was gone. "Look at me, I had mine short for years now."

"The difference is, you wanted to cut your hair short. I didn't."

"Still, aren't you making a bit much fuss about this? Artorias is right, it will grow back. He didn't do it on purpose. You know, it could have happened something far worse. At least you still have your head."

Ornstein didn't answer after that one.

"Fine, if you like to sulk instead, then don't expect me to try and talk further to you.", Ciaran chuntered and sat down in front of the door, waiting for Artorias who came back with Gwyndolin.

"Ornstein? Artorias told me what happened? Would you do me a favour and let me in? I am sure your hair needs some care right now.", Gwyndolin said.

There wasn't an answer.

"You know, I can't cast an illusion on you so that you get your old look back if you like.", they offered.

"You can come in, Gwyndolin.", Ornstein said, but didn't attempt to open the door.

"Um, the door is still clo...", Artorias started but was interruped by Gwyndolin.

"Oh, I get it.", they said and pulled out their catalyst to teleport in the room. Seeing Ornstein leaned against the bed, they came over to him. "Oh geez, your hair is pretty much gone. I am sorry for your loss.", they said.

"Ciaran said to me I shouldn't make such a fuss about it, but... I don't know how to put it... It feels like a part of me was cut off with my hair.", Ornstein mumbled.

"Maybe your hair had some sentimental value to you but you don't remember it.", Gwyndolin assumed. "Even when you are very small and not even conscious yet, you notice things around you. You may not remember it but is in your sub-consciousness."

"I guess, that must be it...", Ornstein said. "My hair always felt... like a source of comfort to me. Knowing that it was there already helped me out..." He looked up: "You said you could help me out?"

"Yes. I could enchant a ring with an illusion to give you your original look back. You had to wear it all the time though.", they said. "But before I do that, may I suggest that you let me cut your hair in shape first?" They conjured some scissors. "Maybe it doesn't look so bad after all."

"Well, the damage already has been done. Go on.", Ornstein said gloomily.

Gwyndolin spend a good amount of time getting Ornstein's hair cut, making sure he would look presentable. After they were satisfied, they prompted him to look into the mirror. Ornstein went over, had to pull himself together and was surprised.

"Huh, this doesn't look as bad as I thought it would...", he said. Gwyndolin had cut his hair short, but it was still long enough that his curls could clearly be seen and that it was coating his neck.

"Do you still want the illusion ring?", Gwyndolin asked.

Ornstein shook his head, feeling a bit weirded out about it cause the ponytail slapping against his armour was missing. "No, I think I am fine now... Let's go to the others."

He opened the door. Ciaran and Artorias stood up upon noticing this. Ornstein stepped out.

"How do I look?", he asked.

"This looks really good.", Artorias said.

Ciaran smiled beneath her mask: "See, having short hair isn't so bad."

"Hm, I think I will still let it grow back.", Ornstein said. He pointed at his ponytail that Artorias still hold into his hands. "Can you give me that? I need to add this to my helmet."

"Still in need of the lion's mane, I see.", Artorias grinned. "How about I help you adding it and we eat the cookies together?", he suggested.

"Sounds good.", Ornstein said. "And sorry that I was making such a fuss. It was a silly thing being upset about."

"I don't think that it was a silly thing to be upset about, Ornstein. I dearly apologize to gave you such much discomfort.", Artorias said, averting his eyes and instead preferred to look down on the floor. "You can pick a punishment for me if you want."

"Then you have to watch me cuddle Sif while you aren't able to do it.", Ornstein said with an evil grin, which only got a "Oh please no...", out of Artorias while he followed him in his room.

(Author's note: Fun Fact: Ornstein's hair managed to grow back in a year.)


End file.
